1 Jun 2015 5th ICRP Seminar Convened

The ICRP Lecture series started upon signing of the Memorandum of Understandings by FMU and ICRP on February 19 of 2014. On June 1 2015, the 5th ICRP Lecture was given by Professor Michiaki KAI, the ICRP Committee 4 member and Professor at Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The title of his talk was “Radiation Protection of people living in the land affected by the nuclear accident – the ICRP approach“. The ICRP approach aims to protect people from deterministic effects of radiation and to reduce stochastic effects as much as reasonably achievable. For the former, measures have to be taken not to exceed threshold doses while for the former, while for the latter, measures are to reduce the risk, but making the risk to zero is impossible for stochastic effects. The ICRP system of radiation protection recognizes three categories of exposure situations such as planned exposure situation, emergency exposure situation and existing exposure situation. Dr. Kai explained why the approach of radiation protection has to be different by exposure situation. The situation people are put up with in the land affected by nuclear accident is extremely complex and all dimensions of people’s everyday life have to be taken into consideration if radiation protection to be effective. For example, the loss of self-control by people on their everyday life in the affected land inevitably leads to loss of pride and dignity. In relation to this problem, self-help action of people becomes vitally important for them to regain control of their own life. Rationales behind the ICRP system of radiation protection are discussed for the existing exposure situation of people living in the affected land.